Package



Dec. 13, 1927.

1 #3 5 t 0 w m I m w M )2 1 m w m nl I 2 HT I WM m 5 m 1 u m w n u m u w u m a .T P u n L m m u a l .I II II III a m 7 u INVENTOR LLam 7'. 11 1450! BY m, ATTORNEYS I I I I I I I I -r I L Patented Dec. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LLOYD 'r. moan, on NEW YORK, 1v. 2., assronon TO cnax-anms'co ma, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

PACKAGE.

Application filed March 18, 1926. Serial No. 94,505.

V The invention relates to wound clips of the .type which are conventionally used by surgeons and doctors for drawing together and holding wounds, cuts and the like to '5 facilitate healing thereof, in place of sewing the same with gut or its e uivalent. These wound clips are customari y made of suitable metal such as German silver and each one comprises a body bent upon itself atop- '1o posite ends to form eyelets from which prongs-are struck, so as to project inwardly toward the centre at predetermined inclinations. These prongs are of necessity providedwith extremely sharp points which are unprotected and situated so as to be easily capable of inflicting injury, to persons handling the same in the process of selling the clips. Up to the present time these clips have been strung in predetermined number upon hair-pin-shaped carriers, and in this condition have beenmarketed. In practice, the carriers with the predetermined number of clips thereon have, in some cases, been loosely contained in bulk in suitable receptacles from which they have been removed by the dealer-for sale as required and in other instances open envelopes have been employed for containing the carriers with the clips thereon. It will be obvious that :0 under the conditions first mentioned the car- 5 nor sufiicient protection either to the handler of the clips or to the clips themselves. It has been found that the average number of clips required for use by the surgeon or doctor, at any given time, is represented by the unit and parts or multiples thereof; as a result, sales of this article are usually made in amounts involving such units or parts or multiples thereof. The object of the present invention is to over- 66 come the above serious disadvantages which exist at present in a highly desirable and useful article by (providing an improved package constructe to contain a predetermined number of clips and to wfix the same in position against the possibility of injury to the clips, as for instance dulling or bend ing the points out of the required angles, and further to preventthe prongs to said clips from inflicting inju in the process of selling the article. In addition, the package comprising the invention provides an improved unit for use in hospitals and which enables the supply departmentsthereof to readily distribute the clips, when equipping the prepared necessities for operations. Other more specific objectsv will appear from the description hereinafter, and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates an example of the invention without defining its limits, Fig. 1 is a face view showi-ng one form of the improved package in an open condition; Fig. 2 is a view showing the package in a partly open position; Fig. 3 is a. similar view illustrating the package as it appears in its closed condition ready for the market; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a cross section on a slightl enlarged scale taken on the line 5-5 of ig. 3; Fig. l? is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the package in a form adapted articularly for sample distribution; and igs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are views of this form of package corresponding respectively to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, Figs. 4 and 5 being sections on the lines 44 and 5 respectively. I

As shown in the drawingsthe clips, which may be of any conventional construction, each comprise a body 10, bent upon itself at its opposite ends to form eyelets 11 from which the prongs 12 are struck; the prongs 12, as shown in Figs. 5 and 5, project outwardly and toward each other, and are provided with extremely sharp points in order to facilitate the use of the clips for their intended purposes. As illustrated'in Figs. 1 and 1, a predetermined number of-clips '10, for instance, a group of twenty-five are strung upon hairpin-shaped carriers 13, the membersof which pass through the eyelets l1 and beyond the terminalclip of a given group; the projecting-ends a of the carriers 13 are bent outwardly or otherwise manipulated to maintain the clips against unintentional removal from the carrier. The arrangement of each group of clips, upon its carrier, is such that the prongs 12 thereof all face in the same direction. As so far described, the construction and arrangement I forming confirmations of tie panel 14 and foldable relatively thereto on score lines 17. The panels 14,15 and 16 are constructed of a material which possesses the inherent quality of developing a resilient resistance when-placed under tension, such as, for instance, a relativelyheavy'and stiff paper.

In practice, in packa es intended for com- 'mercial distribution to purchasers, the arrangement is such as is shown by way of example in Figs. 1-5 inclusive. Under such conditions a given number of carriers or wires 13, each having a predetermined number ofclips strung thereon, are placed upon the panel 14 with the package in the open condition illustrated in Fig. 1; in its preferred commercialform the package-gener ally contains four carriers or wires each containing, for instance, twenty-five wound clips 10, so that the package in such case contains a total of one hundred clips. The arrangement is such that thecarriers are located in pairs, withthe wound clips of the carrier of a given pair'resting' against or in surface engagement with the wound clips of the companion carrier of said pair, the prongs of the two opposed groups of wound clips of said given pair of carriers facing inwardly and toward each other; as shown in Fig. 1, two pairs of carriers with the groups of clips in each pair in opposed relation are located alongside of each other on the panel 14 with the carriers of adjacent pairs preferably in reverse relation as alsoillustrated in Fig. 1. It will be noted in Fig. 5 that the. carriers and their clips lend themselves to this arrangement and that the eyelets of the clips of one group rest uponthe eyelets of the clips of the other group comprising a given pair of carriers and that the'prongs of one group of clips lie alongside of and intersect the prongs of the clips of the other group of said pair of carriers. The carriers and clips included in each pair thus form a compact, practically fixed unitin which all of the prongs, by projecting inwardly are completely protected and covered. After the given number of carriers, for instance four, with .clipsthereon have been placed in position'upon the panel 14, the panel 15 is folded on its score line 17 to the position indicated-in Fig. 2 so as to lie over and engage the surface of the wound clips on the two uppermostcarriers 13, as illustrated in Fig. 5." The panel116 is then foldedupon its score line 17 to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5 so as to lie over and in surface engagement with the previously folded panel 15.11% this'stage,-the package has the appearance indicated in Fig. 5, in which the panel 14 and the panels 15 and 16 are transverselycurved or bowed. Metallic or other fastening staples 20 are then driventhrough thefolded panels at'points near the opposite ends of thepackage and beyond the opposite end limits of the carriers 13; the fas tening staples 20 may be replaced by any equivalent devices whereby the results mentioned hereinafter are attained. In any case, the panels are clamped together and compressedat the opposite ends of thepackageso that at this stage said panels have an approximately curved or bowed form, also in the direction of their length, as shown in'Fig. 4. -With this. arrangement, the inherentproperties of the panels 14, 15 and 16 in combination with the clamping action of the devices 20, develop a resilient pressure which is exerted in opposite directions upon the wound clamps and is suffici'ent to securely fix the wound clamps and their carriers in position against anyrelative shifting movements in the package. At the same time perfect protection of the clips and particularly of the points'thereof is secured by means of the improved method of packing-and the dealers or hospital attendants are safely guarded against injury while handling said packages. f

Inthat form of thepackage'illustrated in Figs. 1-5 inclusive, which is particularly intended for free distribution as samples and for advertising purposes, a reduced number of carriers 13 with clips 10 thereon is contained ina given package;.while the illustrated package shows two such carriers with clips thereon, in actual practice only one carrier with its quota of clips will be contained in a package. In such sample form it is desirable to provide a backing 18 upon the panel 14, said backing having a corrugated facing 19 0f paper or the like upon its exposed face, arranged to be engaged by the prongs 12, all of which face toward said backing as clearly shown in Fig. 5% this backing prevents the points of the clips from coming into contact with the material of which the panels are made and thereby guards against possible piercing of such material by the points of said prongs. If the backing with its corrugated facing forms a part of the package, the points of the prongs 12 embed themselves in said facing to a slight degree, whereby the fixing of the groups of wound clips andtheir carriers is still further assured. At the same time, the points of the prongs 12 are protected, both to prevent injury to the prongs themselves and to prevent said prongs from inflicting injury to the dealer, by Whom the clips are sold. The form of package shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive may otherwise be of exactly the same construction and arrangement as the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive and may be folded in the same way and include the same elements.

In any case, to facilitate the opening of the package when removal of the wound clips therefrom is desired, score lines or perforations 21 may extend transversely of the package at opposite points thereof so as to be located between the fastening devices 20 and the opposite ends of the carriers 13 in the closed condition of the package. With this arrangement the opposite end portions of the package in which the fastening devices 20 are located, may be easily torn from the body of the package along the lines 21. After these end portions have been thus removed, the panels 15 and 16 are free to be unfolded to the condition shown in Fig. 1 to thereby expose the carriers 13 with the wound clips thereon for ready removal and use as required.

The novel package not only protects the wound clips against injury, but furthermore guarantees them against contamination by promiscuous handling; at the same time the packages provide easily handled units, each containing a given number of clips, the number being determined by striking an average from the experiences of practitioners. Thus, in the example shown in Figs. 1-5 inclusive, four carriers 13, each containing twenty-five clips 10 are contained in a given package which accordingly contains one hundred clips in four independent groups of twenty-five, arranged for easyv accessibility and yet fully protected in every way. At the same time, the selling of wound clips of the indicated type is greatly facilitated, and inconveniences and dangers existing in connection with the present methods of handling this commodity are entirely avoided. 1

In some cases the fastening devices 20 or their equivalent, instead of passing through the panels 14, 15 and 16 may project only through the panels 14 and 15. In this case the panel 16 comprises a flap whereby the package is closed and which may be secured in its closed position in any convenient manner. It will be understood that with this last named arrangement the same resilient frictional grip is created upon the wound clips to hold the same and their carriers against movement in the package.

The package is easy to manufacture and dicated type 7 comprising an intermediate panel, side panels foldable over a predetermined contained number of clips and upon themselves, and fastening devices at opposite ends of said package whereby said intermediate and side panels are secured together in folded relation and at least two of said panels are placed under tension to develop a frictional surface grip upon said wound clips from oppo'sitedirections.

2. A package for wound clips of the type described, comprising an intermediate panel, a predetermined number of carriers, each carrying a predetermined number of wound clips located in pairs upon said panel with the prongs of the clips of the two carriers of a pair facin inwardly toward each other, side panels fol able into surface engagement with the wound clips and with each other, and fastening devices passing through said panels at opposite ends of said package and adapted to exert a clamping action on said panels to cause the latter to develop a resilient frictional grip upon the wound clips of the contained pairs of carriers from opposite directions, said panels being provided with transverse score lines arranged to register with each other in the folded condition of the package, and located at opposite ends thereof inside of said fastenin devices whereby the opposite ends of said packa 0 with the fastening devices therein may e easily removed.

3. A package for wound clips of the kind described, comprising an intermediate panel a predetermined number of carriers arranged in pairs upon said panel, the carriers of each pair each carrying a predetermined number of wound clips located in surface engagement with the wound clips of the companion carrier and with the prongs of any two opposed groups of wound clips facing inwardly toward each other, side panels foldable into surface engagement with each other and with the wound clips of the uppermost carriers, and fastening devices at opposite ends of said package adapted to clamp said panels together to cause the same to develop a frictional grip upon the wound clips of the contained carriers from opposite directions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LLOYD T. HILBORN. 

